Joe Paterno’s Family Appeals Penn State Sanctions

Don Van NattaJr., ESPN.com is reporting that the family of Joe Paterno has sent a letter of appeal concerning the NCAA‘s Penn State sanctions. The letter, received by the NCAA on Friday, asks that the sanctions against Penn State and Joe Paterno for covering up the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal be appealed.

A copy of the letter has fallen into the hands of ESPN’s Outside the Lines, a podcast that airs Sunday mornings and is available for download here.

According to ESPN, in the letter addressed to the NCAA’s Infraction Appeals Committee, the family’s lawyer, Wick Sollers states:

This matter may be the most important disciplinary action in the history of the NCAA, and it has been handled in a fundamentally inappropriate and unprecedented manner.

To severely punish a University and its community and to condemn a great educator, philanthropist and coach without any public review or hearing is unfair on its face and a violation of NCAA guidelines.

A $60 million fine, players rights to leave Penn State and sign with another college, a four-year postseason ban, scholarship losses, five years’ probation and the vacating of 111 wins by Paterno from 1998 to 2011 highlight the heavy sanctions that are being appealed. Basically ensuring that no notable high school athletes will be signing up for official visits to the formally highly merited football program. However, after what happened, this probably would have occurred anyway. Penn State‘s reputation has been damaged immensely both on and off the field with or without the sanctions.

The NCAA stands strong behind their decision. In response, a spokesperson for the NCAA dismissed the appeal, “The Penn State sanctions are not subject to appeal.”

The only people with the right to appeal should be the individuals directly harmed by Sandusky and the concealment of the sexual abuse. If they don’t speak out against the sanctions, then the NCAA made the right decision.